The Chemical Heritage Foundation will present the Roy G. Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography to Mary Jo Nye, author of Michael Polanyi and His Generation: Origins of the Social Construction of Science. Nye is the Thomas Hart and Mary Jones Horning Professor in the Humanities and a professor of history emeritus at Oregon State University. The prize will be awarded on Thursday, October 10, 2013, as part of CHF's Fall Governance Meetings.

Nye’s research has concentrated on the history of the chemical and physical sciences with attention to scientific practice, scientific biography, and social and cultural history of science. In addition to Michael Polanyi and His Generation, she is the author of Before Big Science: The Pursuit of Modern Chemistry and Physics, 1800–1940 and Blackett: Physics, War, and Politics in the 20th Century.

About the Neville Prize
The Roy G. Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography, established in 2006, is presented annually by the Chemical Heritage Foundation to recognize an outstanding monograph in the areas of the chemical and molecular sciences. The objective of this prize is to encourage emulation, inspire achievement, and promote public understanding of modern sciences, industries, and economies.

The Neville Prize recognizes either

A monograph that contributes to our bibliographical knowledge of the chemical and molecular sciences, in the tradition inaugurated by Henry Carrington Bolton and exemplified in the lifetime achievement of Roy G. Neville; or

A major work of biography in the chemical and molecular sciences.

In order to be considered for nomination, the work must have been published during a period of five calendar years immediately preceding the year of competition. The Neville Prize may not be received in absentia, except under extraordinary conditions as approved by the president of CHF. The recipient is expected to deliver an address at the award ceremony. The author of the winning monograph receives a cash prize, a certificate, and travel expenses to accept the award.

About Roy G. Neville (1926–2007)
A consulting chemist by profession, Roy G. Neville founded the firm Engineering and Technical Consultants in 1973 in Redwood City, California. He was president of the firm until his death in 2007. He was also a passionate bibliophile by avocation. Neville began collecting books as a teenager in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, and amassed one of the largest private collections of rare books in the fields of science and technology, and chemistry in particular. The Roy G. Neville Historical Chemical Library was acquired by CHF in 2004 and is available for research in CHF’s Othmer Library.

About CHFThe Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) is a collections-based nonprofit organization that preserves the history and heritage of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related sciences and technologies. In bridging science with the humanities, arts, and social sciences, CHF is committed to building a vibrant, international community of scholars; creating a rich source of traditional and emerging media; and engaging the broader society through inventive public events.